Process for the preparation of glycol esters of benzyl acid phthalate



Patented Aug. 19, 1952 William E. Weesner; Webster Groves, Mo., as-' signer to Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Loui' s, Mo., a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to glycol esters of benzyl acid phthalate having the formula Q I,

I No Brewing. Application September 22,1949, Serial No. 117,280

ing to any ofthe convenient methods wen-known to those skilled in the art; For example the r elevated temperature,- 1 I v de ester m ybe wa he w thwa r and a lu e a n ql fiqarsie me to remove low oil n material, andsir ed n er e uc pr ss eatan The following examples are illustrative. of the, manner of preparation of the novel esters of this invention and their physical properties:

Ethylenef gZz/cqz 'bis'r'be z zj hthaiate) I wherein R represents an alkylene radical cone In a glass reactor equ pped; w h. a fi taining at least 2 and not more than 12 carbon" The novel glycol esters of benzyl acid phthalate" of this invention are clear, essentially colorless liquids having a Widerange of viscosities dependent upon the particular glycol utilized.

These have been found to have exceptional utility as plasticizers and extenders for various natural and synthetic resins, and in particular polyvinyl chloride-resin and copolymers containing -predominantly combined vinyl chloride as exemplithermometer, and Water cooled return'condenser, 222 g. of phthalic anhydride andxlolfig. of ethyl-7 ene glycol were heated with continuousagitation' for a period of about 2.hours at a temperature of about 125 C. To this reaction product was added 189.8. g'. of benzyl chloride, and then over a periodof about 11/2 hours,.10 6.6 g. of potassium carbonate (96.3%; assay) was added at 85,-95 C. Following the additionpf potassium carbonate the reaction mixture was heated with stirring at, 140-160 C. for about 5 hours. 'Ifhe'reactionl,. mixture was then washed with waterand a dilute" solution of sodium carbonate, steamed to remove low boiling material, washed again with a sodium fied. by, copolymers containing 85-95% by weight carbonate solution, and thendried under reduced of inyl chloride and 15-5% by weight of inyl 7 pressure at a' temperature of about 110C. Y

acetate, vinylidine chloride, dimethyl maleate, excellent 'yield of ylen lycol bis(be y dimethyl fumarate orxmethyl methacrylate. ph halate) was obtained having the following Various procedures may be utilized in prepar- 0 Pl p i I I ing thenovel compounds of this invention. Pref- I I erably, however, they are prepared by reacting 1 D '5"if'T TT 15754 molecular'proportion of an'aliphatic glycol 0011-" 25 1.2333 II taining at least 2 and not more than 12 carbon Fiash P 5 1 atoms, with approximately 2 molecular pro- P L 4 5 7 0,

portions of phthalic anhydride at a temperature VISCOSIW, po ses at 25 C. (app '4 -3 63-4' in the range of from about 100-150 0., thereby r I forming a reaction mixturecontaining predom- I E M LE n inantly glycol bis(acid phthalate). To this reaction mixture is then added approximately 2 ZEhexanedwZ ph ate) molecular proportions of benzyl chloride and approximately a 1 molecular proportion of'an alkali metal carbonate, preferably" potassium carbonate, and the reaction mixture heated to a temperature in the range of from about 100-l60 0;, within whichrange it is held with continuous agitation until the reaction is complete, thereby forming a reaction mixture containing predominantly the glycol esters of benzyl acid phthalate. The ester thus obtained may be purified accord.

1,6-hexanedio1 bis(benzyl phthalate) wasprepared utilizing the following reactants under the same conditions asv set forth in Example I:

Utilizing the'ebove'reaetents," 182.1 gl'of l,6-

3 hexanediol bis(benzyl phthalate) was obtained having the following properties:

N 1.5579 Sp. gr. 25/25 1.1715 5 Flash POiIItpfFJ 525.11 Fire point,:;.-F 570 Viscosity, poises at 25 C. (approx.) 12.5

EXAMPLE I11 1,3-octanedioz bis benzyl phthalatex -g.

. 1,3-octanediol bis(benzyl phthal'ate) was prepared utilizing the following reactants under the same conditions as set forth in Example}: r- 7 7 148.0 g. phthalic anhydride 5 63.0 g. 1,3-octanedio1 69.2 g. potassium carbonate (99 126.5 g. benzyl chloride Utilizing the above reactants, an excellent-yieldflof 1,3-octanediol bis(benzyl- ,phthalate) was obnce-barin thei llowinanronerties- ND "'7 SpRgi' 9/25 1.141 1; Flash-point, F;;; 1 g 390* Firepoint R -a 510 Viscosity, poises at 25 C. (approx?) V 40 Assay per cent- 90 XAMPLEJY 1,3-butanedioibis (benzyl phthalate) 1,3-butanediol bis(benzyl phthalate) was prepared izm tbe. o lq rinssx ec ms undeaath same conditions as set forth in Example I: 148=0 g=phthalicanhydride 45.1-g 15,3- butanediol 126:5- gbenzylchloride" 69.2 g.=pot assium carbonate- 2Judi/111;3:cc.tanediolabis.(berzzyl phthalate) 1.

74.0 g.;phtha1 icanhydride 50.5,. .,2' bjutyl-isgoctanedi r -fi-ssn a 1iumcarb ates V 1s., i i yl-e er d Additiona-hexampleszof the.-'novel\esters: of this invention; are; the; ;2Fmethyle2Aepentanediolz; bis (benzyld hthalateleg ethyl; .-.1,3-:hexanediol bis-= (bengyl phthalate 2,5 j hexanediolz bis(benzyl -c phthalate), 1,2-propanediol bis(benzyl phthalate), 1,4-butanediol bis(benzyl phthalate), 1,10- decanediol bis benzyl phthalate) l 2,4-.pentane-' 132 2 5b z llphthalateih 1,6-.hexanediol; bis-. l ex filfifl31 ilifizqg fil filiiolf fi (ben y s phthalate). W V

era ve mends-s t this. ea .e -pos-.e. sess outstanding utility as non-fugitive plasticizers for polyvinyl chloride resins. In many applications utilizing plasticized polyvinyl chloride compositions-it is desirablethat the plasticizer content of the plasticized composition be retained in the.-.composition :for exceptionally long'periods' of time;under =various conditions. For-example, such plasticizersshouldpossess low-volatility and non-migratory properties, i, e. little or no tend.- ency to leave the plasticized polyvinyl chloride composition and enter or attack another mate rial, for example, a synthetic resin s ur face which. i may come in contact with the plasticized polyl. gh l esitiea mmer: in. su h applications resinous type plasticizers have been utilized almost exclusively, possessing these desirable characteristics of low volatility and nonmigratory tendencies. As a general rule, the ester type nlastic e sh ve n t beeniound to be sa sfactoryicin thes resp ects.;:i Resinous; type plasticizers, however, are deficient in several respects.

They are exceptionally difficult to process or pretions,;gont a;inmg the novel esters of this invention.

Compositions .werenprepared acontaining, .100... parts by weigh of a poly inyl .szh oride...resin formed by the polymerization of vinyl chloride and 50 parts by weight of the novel esters of this invention. The resin and plasticizer were intimately mixedandfluxed on a. differential steel roll mill for 5 minutes at C. When homogeneous compositions had beenmformed on the roll mill, the-plasticized polyvinyl chloride compositions were sheeted" off the roll mill. These compositions were then molded into 5" x 5" x .040" sheets under a pressure of 2,000 lbs. per square inch at a temperature-of 160 C. The compositions were clear, substantially colorless, ir e mm; .ndona dleatherysin hand.....They flexible, ,at .room temperature and .-...at reduced: tempi'fi fatures. r.Irhe none i s ive. nature.v of the. l .l novel e ters-pf, th s invent on as pl s icizersgfor. p r pyllgh o ide. omppsiti nswas n a d by the outstanding degree of retention of the1;')la stijj cizer when the, plasticized composition wassubri'. jected; to elevated temperatures forfiextended. periods of time, Thus, these compositions retained substantially 99%; -of their plasticizereontentafter being placedin a Freas circulatingoven-at 105-C-'. -for---aper iodof-2 4 hours. Thenon-migratorycharacteristics-of the novel com pounds-ofthis invention when utilized-as plastieizers foripolyvinyl chloride-resins; wasdemonstrated by placing these compositions-in contact with-a plasticizedcellulosenitratafilm at a tem" perature of 50 :C'. under=-a pressure :of .-0.5-i-lb. per,square.inch..-forra period-of 3 days. Aftersuch a periodof time. in contact with the: celluw lose nitrate1surface,.-.the samples were removed-.-

and the-cellulose. nitrate surface examined. I The 1 cellulose nitratesurfacein contact With'thepolyvinylsyehlcnide compositions .plasticizeds-mith:theaive novelrcompoimdspf, this invention was marred onlyite thegextentmf bein zzm lrkedyzwhich Wash: duernore to pure physical ,cqntacirbetween thetwo 1 acesrathe :th an actua-Lm erationiof the; plasticizer-a Poly-vinyl;chloridegcompositions QQII'ET tainins-.-th rsimpl .es ersheretoioreeusedas plas.-.; ticizersor -polyvinyl ;chloride,;-.under a similar I rati test; ,1 s verely softenedwthe:-.ce11u1ose r. nitrate su vface,. indicating a5 cpnsiderablerdegireey of migration of thee-ester type-rplasticizer;firemen. ..-po r n ch c 'de compesitionto the.;cellu-..

9. 111 113 2 5 fi z-g ,The abov ,described.-results-a of thepe tman nce an im srat qni ests- 0 c p i ionson ainingthe BOYQLQOIIIPQQHQS'EQTI h inv ntionlas las e s, c eerlydemenst ate tha these, compounds are, an extremely permanent,

5 What is claimed is: 1. A process for the preparation of glycol esters of benzyl acid phthalate having the formula:

wherein R represents an alkylene radical containing at least 2 and not more than 12 carbon atoms, which comprises reacting a 1 molecular proportion of an aliphatic glycol containing at least 2 and not more than 12 carbon atoms, with approximately 2 molecular proportions of phthalic anhydride at a temperature in the range of from about 100-150 0. thereby forming a reaction mixture containing predominantly a glycol bis(acid phthalate), reacting the glycol bis(acid phthalate) therein with a mixture containing i 6 approximately 2 molecular proportions of benzyl chloride and approximately a 1 molecular proportion of an alkali metal carbonate, while maintaining a temperature in the range of from about I WILLIAM E. WEESNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,075,107 Frazier Mar. 30, 1937 2,293,775 Soday Aug. 25. 1942 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF GLYCOL ESTERS OF BENZYL ACID PHTHALATE HAVING THE FORMULA: 